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Frequently Asked Questions Insurance

Life

OPM's Retirement Office is the only office with access to your FEGLI life insurance records. There are three ways to access your FEGLI coverage information:

1. Log on to Retirement Services Online to view and print a Verification of Life Insurance (VOLI). Your VOLI will show which types of FEGLI coverage you have, your amount of coverage before reduction, your post-65 reductions, and your amount of coverage after reductions complete.

2. Email retire@opm.gov to request that your VOLI be mailed to you. Be sure to include your retirement claim number (CSA/CSF) in your email.

3. Call 1-888-767-6738 to request that your VOLI be mailed to you. The phone lines are open Monday through Friday 7:40 am to 5:00 pm eastern time. The phone lines can get extremely busy so we recommend calling early in the morning or late in the evening when the lines are less busy. Have your retirement claim number (CSA/CSF) or social security number handy.

Contact your human resources office. The office that maintains your Official Personnel Folder (OPF) or its equivalent is the only office with access to your FEGLI life insurance records. If you do not know what office that is or how to contact them, check with your supervisor.

You can also look on a copy of your most recent Standard Form 50, Notification of Personnel Action, to determine the coverage you currently have:

In Block 27 on that form, there is a 2-character code that represents your current coverage and a definition of the code.

You must report the death to OPM's Retirement Office. You can use this tool or you can call Retirement at 1-888-767-6738.

If you believe the retiree was enrolled in FEGLI Life Insurance and that you are a beneficiary, you can download a claim form and mail it to OFEGLI, an office of MetLife. MetLife determines who is entitled to FEGLI Life Insurance proceeds, for what amount, and processes all claims. OPM has no role in this process.

Due to privacy restrictions, OPM cannot release information about whether the retiree was enrolled in FEGLI Life Insurance, the amount of life insurance, or the names of the beneficiaries. MetLife will mail a claim form to each beneficiary. All inquiries about life insurance claims must be directed to MetLife.

If the insured person was a Federal EMPLOYEE:

You must report the death to the employee's human resources office.

If you believe the employee was enrolled in FEGLI Life Insurance and that you are a beneficiary, you can download a claim form and mail it to OFEGLI, an office of MetLife. MetLife determines who is entitled to FEGLI Life Insurance proceeds, for what amount, and processes all claims. OPM has no role in this process.

Due to privacy restrictions, the employee's human resources office cannot release information about whether the employee was enrolled in FEGLI Life Insurance, the amount of life insurance, or the names of the beneficiaries. MetLife will mail a claim form to each beneficiary. All inquiries about life insurance claims must be directed to MetLife.

If the insured person was FAMILY MEMBER covered under FEGLI Option C:

FEGLI Option C covers the lives of the employee/retiree's spouse and eligible children under age 22.

If you have Option C coverage and an eligible family member dies, complete this form and submit it to the location indicated on page 1.

When you die, the Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) will pay life insurance benefits in a particular order, set by law:

If you assigned ownership of your life insurance, OFEGLI will pay benefits in the following order of precedence: First, to the beneficiary(ies) designated by your assignee(s), if any;
Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your assignee(s).

If you did not assign ownership and there is a valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in accordance with that court order.

If you did not assign ownership and there is no valid court order on file, OFEGLI will pay benefits in the following order of precedence:

First, to the beneficiary(ies) you designated;

Second, if there is no such beneficiary, to your widow or widower;

Third, if none of the above, to your child or children, with the share of any deceased child distributed among descendants of that child (a court will usually have to appoint a guardian to receive payment for a minor child);

Fourth, if none of the above, to your parents in equal shares or the entire amount to your surviving parent;

Fifth, if none of the above, to the executor or administrator of your estate;

Sixth, if none of the above, to your other next of kin as determined under the laws of the State where you lived.

To designate new beneficiaries, submit a Designation of Beneficiary to your human resources office (or to OPM's Retirement Office if you are retired).

If you would like to know who is listed in your current Designation of Beneficiary, follow these instructions.

FEGLI life insurance open seasons are extremely rare and none are currently scheduled. Your agency and OPM's website will announce when there is a life insurance open season coming up. The most recent FEGLI open seasons were held in 2004 and 1999.

Outside of an open season, eligible employees can enroll or increase their coverage by taking a physical exam or with a Qualifying Life Event.

FEGLI life events are marriage, divorce, death of spouse, or acquisition of an eligible child. With a life event, you can enroll or increase coverage in Basic, Option A, up to five multiples of Option B, and/or up to five multiples of Option C. You must submit an SF 2817 to your human resources office within 60 days after the life event.

Reducing or cancelling life insurance:

You can reduce or cancel your FEGLI life insurance at any time, without waiting for an open season.

If you are an employee, submit an SF 2817 to your human resources office, signing only for the coverage you want to keep.

If you are retired, there is no form; you must write a signed letter to OPM's Retirement Office stating clearly the reduction or cancellation you want to make. Be sure to include your signature, annuity number (CSA/CSF) or social security number, and your phone number. Send the letter to:

Office of Personnel Management

Retirement Operations Center

P.O. Box 45

Boyers, PA 16017-0045

Please note that you cannot enroll, increase coverage, or restore cancelled coverage after you have retired.

Changing beneficiaries:

You can change beneficiaries at any time, without waiting for an open season. Submit an SF 2823 to your human resources office, or to OPM's Retirement Office if you have retired. The address for OPM's Retirement Office is on page 3 of the form.

The cancellation or reduction must be in writing and have an original signature by the insured retiree. Be sure to include your retirement claim number (CSA) or Social Security Number (SSN) and specify what action you want taken. Please note that you cannot increase your coverage after retirement or reinstate coverage that you cancel.

The Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (OFEGLI) is an administrative unit of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company that pays claims for the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program.

If OFEGLI is paying the beneficiary less than $5,000, the beneficiary will receive a check.

If OFEGLI is paying the beneficiary $5,000 or more, the beneficiary will have a choice of two ways to receive the payment.

A check

A MetLife Total Control Account or (TCA), an interest bearing account set up in the beneficiary's name, with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife)

If the beneficiary is receiving $5,000 or more and does not make a decision on how to receive payment, a MetLife Total Control Account will be set up in the beneficiary' s name.

Yes, it is true. As part of the Basic life insurance, employees who are under age 45 get an Extra Benefit at no additional cost. The Extra Benefit doubles the amount of the life insurance payable if you are age 35 or younger. Beginning on your 36th birthday, the Extra Benefit decreases 10% each year until, at age 45, there is no Extra Benefit.

Your life insurance coverage continues for up to 12 months in a LWOP or nonpay status. You do not have to pay any premiums while you are on LWOP unless you are receiving benefits from the Department of Labor, Office of Workers' Compensation Programs.

The life insurance ends at the end of the 12 months with a 31-day extension of coverage and a right to convert to an individual policy.

During the first 12 months of LWOP, your FEGLI coverage continues. If you die during the first 12 months, OFEGLI uses the salary at the time of death to compute the benefit. For example:

Stan had Basic insurance only. He went on LWOP February 1, 2003. His salary at that time was $18,449. In September 2003, he got a within-grade increasing his salary to $20,849.00. He died November 15, 2003. Since he died during the first 12 months of LWOP, life insurance is payable. The basic salary used to compute the benefit is $20,849.00.

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